9 Restaurant NYC

9 Restaurant
800 9th Ave New York City



Some call it Thirsty Thursday, we prefer Tasty Thursday. Why waste time on drinks, when you can explore an inventive spin on American cuisine at 9 restaurant in New York City? Finding a tasty spot before heading to the theatre is no easy task, but as always we were up for the challenge. Now it seems that ninth avenue is not short on restaurants with the number nine in the name so make sure you are at the right spot.

Upon entering 9, we were seated immediately, and we were greeted by our friendly waitress. We were accompanied by some of our family, which made us a group of seven. The restaurant was mostly empty, and we were seated by the door. As it was a beautiful city night, the doors and windows were all wide open. A few members of our party were a bit warm, so we had asked if it would be possible to lower the air conditioning in the restaurant. A few moments later, the manager approached us and abruptly stated, is there a problem? We quickly asked him, and he intelligently stated, “Well you’re seated by the doors which are open and it’s a warm night.” My god I think he’s got it; an attitude that is.....thanks for nothing!

The menu had several intriguing dishes, in particular the crowd was memorized by the description of the crab mac & cheese. It arrived in a small casserole dish which looked and smelled amazing! It was super cheesy, and just had the right amount of crab meat. It was a delicious start!




While waiting for our meal with no bread basket AGAIN to keep my mouth busy, I decided to ask a few questions about the chef. I had recently read a small blurb about the restaurant, comparing the chef to other well known masterminds like Todd English, and I became intrigued to learn more. The waitress’s response was, “Oh his name is.......oh my goodness I can’t think of his last name right now.” Akward! As she went to fellow servers for assistance, they were also speechless. Perhaps I am being harsh, but how embarrassing; I feel that everyone should be knowledgeable when it comes to where they are working, especially when a person’s reputation is on the line.

Here-comes-the-food (sorry we have been to numerous weddings lately). Now onto the entree, my eyes were immediately drawn to the chicken & dumplings dish mostly because that’s not a meal that you see or eat very often! We will also have the cod, short ribs, and 3 orders of the lobster cavetelli please.
I allowed my mind to wander while waiting, and I pictured a deep bowl with fluffy dumplings in it, and while that was not what arrived, this dish was a new spin on an old classic. With the skin still intact, the chicken was sliced into thick rounds accompanied by a side of sautéed kale, and four dumplings. The chicken was juicy, and the skin was a crispy golden brown, but the center had dark lines which were unappealing to me. After trying each component separately, I enjoyed it all. Personally, I feel that the perfect bite is the only way to take on this dish. The dumplings had a similar appearance to a pot sticker, and they were quite flavorful. Kale is definitely an acquired green, as it is very bitter, but the cooking of it really complimented this side.

Every dish was beautiful, especially Dino’s short ribs. Two tender pieces of short ribs sat on top of whipped mashed potatoes, and each bite made you want some more. I highly recommend this dish for the meat lovers. You will not be disappointed!

The lobster cavatelli was served just right. Big portions with lots of delicious cod and lobster pieces!

The cod was cooked to perfection. It came with some assorted vegetables which included some baby bok choy! We recommend this dish if your in the mood for some fish! No complaints here.

The staff couldn’t help but notice that we were taking pictures of the food, and a few moments later we were given a 9 shot glass! We’ll take it, our first free gift woo-hoo go DnA! Okay so it looked a bit cloudy & possibly used, but it’s the thought that counts.

We all wanted something sweet after our comfort food meal, and we indulged in the mini ice cream cones, maple doughnuts with white chocolate drizzle, and the peanut butter chocolate bar. Four mini cones came out each a different flavor including orange, caramel, white chocolate, and vanilla & chocolate swirl. Can you say adorable? I wish that I had my own mini cone maker, and all of those flavored ice creams would be a great bonus, they were delish!

From refreshing to parched, the peanut butter candy bar was also yummy, however it did not win over the crowd. It was extremely rich without any cut from that chocolate peanut butter power.

Time to dive into doughnuts! They had unbelievable flavor, they were a bit dense but so satisfying. Did I mention they were still warm? The ice cream on the side offered the perfect balance.


Our experience at 9 had it’s ups and downs but the food spoke for itself. It was delicious, inventive, visually appealing, and extremely filling. While the pricing is on the higher end expect to spend $20 plus each for all entrees, but it will be worth it. I know I was a bit hard on the staff, but I will say overall, they were very friendly and they even added a few jokes here and there. The vibe of the restaurant has a hip feel with the graffiti wall art, all it needs is the crowd to really finish the atmosphere. Go check it out for yourself!







With extra love!

dna